Melbourne lights up the Emissions Reduction Fund

01 February 2016

​The City of Melbourne will replace more than 15,000 street lights with energy efficient LED bulbs as part of an Emissions Reduction Fund project.

"It is good to see an iconic city like Melbourne leading the way by engaging in the Emissions Reduction Fund. Their project demonstrates that small changes, like replacing light bulbs, can make a big difference to overall energy use", said Chair of the Clean Energy Regulator, Chloe Munro.

The Public Lighting Upgrade Project has been registered under thecommercial and public lighting method. The method credits emissions reductions from projects that improve the energy performance of lighting systems in commercial and industrial buildings or, as is the case with the City of Melbourne, public areas such as pedestrian, street and traffic lighting. By improving existing lighting systems less electricity is consumed and emissions associated with the generation of electricity are reduced.

Chair of the City of Melbourne's Environment Portfolio, Cr Arron Wood, said the $14.4 million project is expected to create 10,000 tonnes of carbon abatement each year.

"We're pleased to have our first project registered under the Emissions Reduction Fund. Public lighting accounts for nearly half of the City of Melbourne's energy use, so we expect to save more than $1 million a year on our electricity bills," said Cr Wood.

"This project is just one of the initiatives we are undertaking to help fast-track progress towards our municipal goal of zero net emissions by 2020." ​

The street lighting upgrade is part of a $30 million program of initiatives the City of Melbourne is undertaking using finance from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation.

"We're keen to see other councils become sustainable as they move to a more energy efficient way of operating their core services. Councils should be considering the range of opportunities now available under the Emissions Reduction Fund," Ms Munro said.

"Prospects for councils are broader than just energy efficiency with methods available that can credit certain improvements in transportation and waste management."